New bill just introduced in the legislature. "Note Increase tobacco impact fees" In my book that is a tax increase.

Thissen from the Committee on Health and Human Services to which was referred:
H. F. No. 3390, A bill for an act relating to public health; establishing a public health access fund; establishing a
program to monitor BMI in children; establishing a statewide health improvement program; increasing the tobacco impact fees; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 16A.725, subdivision 1; 256.9658,
subdivisions 3, 9; Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 120B.021, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new
law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 16A; 120B; 145.
Reported the same back with the following amendments:
Delete everything after the enacting clause and insert:
"Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 120B.021, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Required academic standards. (a) The following subject areas are required for statewide
accountability:
(1) language arts;
(2) mathematics;
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(3) science;
(4) social studies, including history, geography, economics, and government and citizenship;
(5) health, nutrition, and physical education, for which locally developed academic standards apply; and
(6) the arts, for which statewide or locally developed academic standards apply, as determined by the school
district. Public elementary and middle schools must offer at least three and require at least two of the following four
arts areas: dance; music; theater; and visual arts. Public high schools must offer at least three and require at least
one of the following five arts areas: media arts; dance; music; theater; and visual arts.
(b) The commissioner must submit proposed standards in science and social studies to the legislature by
February 1, 2004.
For purposes of applicable federal law, the academic standards for language arts, mathematics, and science apply to
all public school students, except the very few students with extreme cognitive or physical impairments for whom an
individualized education plan team has determined that the required academic standards are inappropriate. An
individualized education plan team that makes this determination must establish alternative standards.
(c) A school district, no later than the 2007-2008 school year, must adopt graduation requirements that meet or
exceed state graduation requirements established in law or rule. A school district that incorporates these state
graduation requirements before the 2007-2008 school year must provide students who enter the 9th grade in or
before the 2003-2004 school year the opportunity to earn a diploma based on existing locally established graduation
requirements in effect when the students entered the 9th grade. District efforts to develop, implement, or improve
instruction or curriculum as a result of the provisions of this section must be consistent with sections 120B.10,
120B.11, and 120B.20.
(d) The commissioner must include the contributions of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities as
they relate to the academic standards during the review and revision of the required academic standards.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2008-2009 school year and later.
Sec. 2. [120B.0215] BMI MONITORING IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
By July 1, 2009, the commissioners of education and health shall collaboratively establish and implement a costeffective
program to monitor rates of overweight and obese children in the state by collecting and analyzing Body
Mass Index (BMI) data. To the extent possible, in establishing this BMI monitoring program, the commissioners
shall use existing child and youth monitoring systems or surveys. The BMI data collected must be used to measure
progress in reducing the percentage of overweight and obese children in the state, and must be used to accurately
target intervention and prevention services throughout the state. To the extent necessary for implementation and
analysis, the Departments of Education and Health may share data collected under this program, consistent with the
requirements in chapter 13. Analysis of the data collected and trends in overweight and obese children in the state
must be reported according to section 3.195 to the legislature every other year, starting January 15, 2010. By
January 1, 2009, the commissioners must report to the legislature on the proposed design of the BMI monitoring
program, and any local or statewide cost considerations.
Sec. 3. [145.986] STATEWIDE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
Subdivision 1. Goals. The initial goals of the public health improvement program are to reduce the percentage
of Minnesotans who are obese or overweight to less than half by the year 2020 and to reduce tobacco smoking by
two percent annually starting in 2011. By 2011, and considering available funding, the commissioner of health, in
consultation with the State Community Health Advisory Committee established in section 145A.10, subdivision 10,
and other stakeholders, may make recommendations as to future goals related to alcohol use and illegal drug use.
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Subd. 2. Funding local communities. Beginning January 1, 2009, the commissioner of health must provide
funding to community health boards to convene, coordinate, and lead locally developed programs targeted at
achieving measurable health improvement goals. Funding to each community health board will be distributed based
on a per capita formula, with a base allocation of $50,000 to each community health board that receives funding. By
January 15, 2011, the commissioner of health must recommend whether additional funding should be distributed to
community health boards based on health disparities demonstrated in the populations served.
Subd. 3. Outcomes. (a) The commissioner of health must set performance measures and annually review the
progress of local communities in improving the performance measures. The commissioner may provide technical
assistance and corrective action plans to ensure that local communities are making sufficient progress.
(b) The commissioner must measure current public health data, using existing measures and data collection
systems when available, to determine baseline data against which progress shall be monitored.
Subd. 4. Media campaign. The commissioner of health must conduct a statewide marketing campaign using
public media to reinforce local efforts at addressing health improvement goals. The commissioner must develop the
statewide campaigns and determine the timing of these campaigns in consultation with local public health
representatives.